Venice: The City That Should Not Exist

I arrived in Venice for the first time on a November morning when acqua alta was flooding the lower sections of Piazza San Marco to ankle depth. The locals were walking on raised wooden platforms in their boots, completely unbothered. The pigeons had retreated to the driest corners of the colonnade. The mist was coming off the lagoon and softening the domes of the Basilica into something impressionistic. I was the only tourist in the piazza, and it was, without any competition, the most extraordinary thing I had ever seen.

Venice is a city that should not exist. Built on 118 islands in the middle of an Adriatic lagoon, connected by 400 bridges over 170 canals, sustained for centuries by a maritime empire that controlled trade between East and West — it is an act of collective human will so improbable that seeing it for the first time produces a specific kind of cognitive disbelief. You know, intellectually, that you are looking at buildings. You have seen the photographs. And yet standing on a canal bridge watching a gondola slide through the green water below while the church bells of San Marco toll across the rooftops, you cannot quite make yourself believe it is real.

I have been back three times. Each time I go earlier in the morning and stay later into the evening, because the best Venice — the Venice that belongs to you rather than to the tourist hordes — exists in the hours before 09:00 and after 18:00. The city receives approximately 30 million visitors a year with a permanent population of about 50,000. The math produces predictable results in summer. But arrive in January when mist sits on the canals and crowds thin to almost nothing, or come in late October when the light turns amber and acqua alta begins its seasonal performances, and you will understand why people fall permanently in love with this place.

The sestieri — Venice’s six neighborhoods — each have their own character, and understanding them transforms how you experience the city. San Marco is what most tourists see. Cannaregio, Dorsoduro, Castello, San Polo, and Santa Croce are where Venice actually lives, and where the most memorable experiences are found.

Why Venice rewards the traveler who slows down

Venice is not a city you rush. The entire point is to lose yourself in it — to take bridges and calli (lanes) without knowing where they lead, to discover a campo (square) you have never read about, to find a bacaro (wine bar) where you stand at the counter eating cicchetti with a glass of Prosecco for EUR 8 and think that this is, actually, the finest lunch available in any city in Europe.

The Dorsoduro neighborhood, south of the Grand Canal, is my base in Venice. It has the Accademia and the Peggy Guggenheim Collection, two of the finest art museums in the city, but it also has the Zattere — a long waterfront promenade facing the Giudecca island where locals jog, children bicycle, and life proceeds at a tempo entirely disconnected from the selfie crowds of San Marco. The best gelato in Venice (Gelateria Nico) is on the Zattere.

Cannaregio, to the north, is where a large proportion of Venice’s actual residents live. The Ghetto — the first Jewish ghetto in the world, established in 1516 — is here, with several excellent small museums and kosher bakeries still operating on Campo del Ghetto Nuovo. The Strada Nova is the main shopping street for locals (as opposed to tourists), and the eastern stretch toward the train station has bacari and osterie that feel genuinely local. Prices here are consistently 20-30% lower than the San Marco area.

What should you do in Venice?

St. Mark’s Basilica — One of the most extraordinary buildings in the world, a Byzantine-Romanesque confection dripping in gold mosaics. Entry to the main church is free but requires modest dress. Climb to the Loggia dei Cavalli (EUR 5) for eye-level views of the facade and piazza. Book timed entry online to skip the queue.

Doge’s Palace (Palazzo Ducale) — The seat of Venetian government for over a thousand years. Tintoretto’s Paradise on the Great Council Chamber ceiling is the largest oil painting in the world. Entry EUR 25 combined with Correr Museum. Book online. The Secret Itineraries tour (EUR 30 extra) takes you through hidden chambers including the Bridge of Sighs from the inside.

Grand Canal by Vaporetto — The No. 1 vaporetto runs the full length of the Grand Canal from Piazzale Roma to San Marco — effectively a floating art history tour. EUR 9.50 for a single ticket, EUR 25 for a 24-hour pass. Do it at sunrise when the light is amber and the traffic minimal.

Rialto Market — The fish and produce market occupying this spot since the 12th century. Go before 09:00. The pescheria (fish market) is extraordinary — red mullet, sea bass, spider crabs, lagoon clams, sardines. The vegetable market has seasonal produce of the Veneto: white asparagus in spring, radicchio in autumn.

Accademia Gallery — The finest collection of Venetian painting from the 13th to 18th centuries. Bellini, Carpaccio, Tintoretto, Veronese, Titian. Entry EUR 12. Allow two to three hours.

Peggy Guggenheim Collection — Picasso, Duchamp, Kandinsky, Pollock, Ernst, Dali — one of the finest collections of 20th-century art in Europe. Entry EUR 16. Closed Tuesdays. The sculpture garden overlooking the Grand Canal is exceptional.

Island of Murano — The glassmaking island 15 minutes by vaporetto. Watch master glassblowers work (free demonstrations), visit the Museo del Vetro (EUR 10), and buy direct from the workshops at significantly lower prices than San Marco tourist shops. Half-day trip.

Sunset from the Punta della Dogana — The eastern tip of Dorsoduro, where the Grand Canal meets the Giudecca Canal. The view at sunset — domes of the Salute, the Piazzetta, gondolas on the water, the entire city turning gold — is the finest free view in Venice.

Where should you eat in Venice?

• Osteria alle Testiere — Calle del Mondo Novo, Castello. The finest small seafood restaurant in Venice. Ten tables, no printed menu — just the daily catch from the lagoon. Langoustine, clams, spider crab pasta. Book weeks ahead. Dinner EUR 55-80 per person.
• Cantina do Mori — Calle do Mori, San Polo. Venice’s oldest bacaro (since 1462), near the Rialto Market. Cicchetti and wine from the barrel at the counter. The mozzarella in carrozza (fried mozzarella sandwich) is outstanding. EUR 10-15 for a proper standing lunch.
• All’Arco — Calle dell’Ochialer, San Polo. A tiny bacaro near the Rialto with possibly the best cicchetti in Venice. Baccala mantecato, anchovies on polenta, prosciutto crostini. EUR 1.50 each. Get there before noon.
• Trattoria dalla Marisa — Fondamenta di San Giobbe, Cannaregio. Locals-only trattoria with a daily-changing set lunch menu (EUR 15). No English menu, limited English spoken. Point and trust the kitchen.
• Gelateria Nico — Zattere, Dorsoduro. The giandujotto — a brick of hazelnut chocolate gelato served floating in a cup of whipped cream — is the signature item. Worth the walk to the Zattere. EUR 3-5.
• Trattoria da Jonni — Fondamenta di Borgo, Murano. Eat here when you visit Murano. Grilled fish from EUR 18, risotto di pesce from EUR 14. Ingredients from the lagoon that morning.
• Vino Vero — Fondamenta della Misericordia, Cannaregio. The finest wine bar in Venice, with an extraordinary list of natural wines and exceptional cicchetti. The kind of place you stumble into and stay for three hours.

Where should you stay in Venice?

Budget (EUR 35-100/night) — Generator Venice on Giudecca island (vaporetto access) offers dorms from EUR 35 and private rooms from EUR 80. The island location gives lagoon views without tourist-zone prices. Ostello Santa Fosca in Cannaregio is a clean, well-located budget option from EUR 70.

Mid-Range (EUR 130-280/night) — Dorsoduro or Cannaregio offer the best mid-range value. Ca’ Pisani Hotel (doubles from EUR 150) is a beautifully designed art deco property in Dorsoduro. Palazzo Abadessa in Cannaregio (doubles from EUR 170) is a 16th-century palazzo with a private garden — an exceptional rarity in Venice.

Luxury (EUR 350+/night) — Hotel Cipriani on Giudecca (from EUR 700) has its own private boats, pool, and is the most famous luxury hotel in Venice. Gritti Palace (from EUR 500) on the Grand Canal is the grande dame of Venetian luxury. Hotel Nani Mocenigo Palace in Dorsoduro (from EUR 350) is the finest boutique option.

When is the best time to visit Venice?

November through February is Venice at its most atmospheric — acqua alta, morning mist on the canals, almost no tourist crowds, and hotel prices 40-60% lower than summer peaks. January is particularly good. The Venice Carnival in February is spectacular but brings crowds and higher prices.

April-May and September-October offer the best balance of weather, manageable crowds, and reasonable prices. July and August are the most visited months — temperatures 30-35C, intensive crowds in San Marco, and the canals can develop an unpleasant odor in the heat.

Visit our Italy travel guide for detailed Venice itineraries, and explore the full range of Italian destinations including the nearby cities of Padua (30 minutes by train, home of Giotto’s Scrovegni Chapel) and Verona (1.5 hours, birthplace of Romeo and Juliet).